The preview Pre units are out, and the Pre reviews are in!

• Walt Mossberg.  "All in all, I believe the Pre is a smart, sophisticated product that will have particular appeal for those who want a physical keyboard. It is thoughtfully designed, works well and could give the iPhone and BlackBerry strong competition."
• David Pogue.  "The Pre, which goes on sale first in the United States on Saturday and sometime in the second half of 2009 in Europe, is an elegant, joyous, multitouch smartphone that seems intended to be '‘iPhone, remixed.'"
• Engadget.  "Ultimately - carriers and developers notwithstanding - what Palm has done is not only a major feat for a company of its size (and its dire position), we think it's an important step in the evolution of mobile computing."
• Gizmodo.  (as usual with their reviews, too scattered to pick a quote as a summary.  They like it, but they can't stop "butting"...  okay, it isn't perfect, we get it...
• CNet.  "Despite some missing features and performance issues that make it less than ideal for on-the-go professionals, the Palm Pre offers gadget lovers and consumers well-integrated features and unparalled multitasking capabilities."
• PC Mag.  "Palm is back—and with the coolest handheld device we've seen in a long time. The Palm Pre has the same exhilarating sense of possibility as the iPhone—and it's even worth switching to Sprint for."
• CNN.  Split as a review from a Blackberry user, and one from an iPhone user.  They both like it, for different reasons.
• Fox.  "My takeaway: The Palm Pre is an impressive device with a slick design and an even slicker user experience."
• Business Week.  "Adoption of Palm's new Pre smartphone will be hampered by its lousy applications, high price, and marketing missteps."

Some of these reviews are actual reviews, some are just pundits transmitting.  I guess time will tell.

I can't wait to get mine, but I might have to; I'm going to be gone Saturday (riding in the Sierras) and Sunday (sailing), and by then all the Sprint Stores and Best Buys will probably be sold out...

[Update: you might enjoy Palm's amazing "Flow" ad...  ]

[Update #2: here's the Pre's "first run" video... way cool... ]